A monosynth's note-priority setting decides which held key sounds and has a drastic effect on playing

A monophonic synth can sound only one note at a time, so when more than one key is held it must decide which pitch to output. Which key wins is governed by the instrument’s note-priority setting, and although it is easy to overlook in an era of high polyphony, Reid stresses it can have a drastic effect on what you hear when playing or triggering an old synth: it changes how overlapping notes, legato lines, and left-hand basslines behave. Understanding a given synth’s priority behaviour is therefore essential to controlling its monophonic voicing.

Examples

On a Minimoog, holding one note and adding another makes the voiced pitch jump according to the priority rule, changing which note a legato phrase actually plays.

Assessment

Explain what note priority determines on a monophonic synth and why it audibly matters when two keys overlap.